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Fabric co-founder Cameron Leslie has rubbished Met police denials that officers have a “vendetta” against the club.

Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and Commander Nick Davies from Islington police both said this week that there was no vendetta against the Farringdon club closed earlier this month.

Speaking at a debate called “Can Nightlife be Saved?” at the club on Tuesday, Mr Leslie said: “They can say what they like. I just don’t buy the fact that the central licensing team were not working very hard at getting the objective together to get Fabric at the first inevitable instance.”

Mr Leslie commented on the breakdown of relations between the police and the club, but said claims that Fabric was anti-police were a “myth”.

“We were fantastic partners with them for the best part of 13 years, the first port of call,” he added. “We were coming up with initiatives together to take on the challenges of the nighttime economy.

“Unfortunately, with the changes in police structures, they got rid of a lot of the licensing sergeants who understood what it was like at 4am outside this club. It was replaced with a stats-driven, performance business and that isn’t always compatible with the nighttime economy.”

Also on the panel were Islington South and Finsbury MP Emily Thornberry, a Fabric supporter, Amsterdam’s night mayor Mirik Milan and Jungle legend Goldie, who has played at Fabric 110 times.

Mr Milan was invited as Amsterdam's nightlife is flourishing. Sadiq Khan is currently recruiting a night mayor to help halt the decline across London.

Mr Milan said: “We are in a good position in Amsterdam but this didn’t happen overnight. It took us a couple of years to get through to the mayor’s office and city councillors and explain the value of nightlife. This is a big challenge which London will have.”

On drug policy, he said: “The Dutch have a really pragmatic app­roach to these situations. Our focus is on harm reduction and making people aware of the dangers.”

Ms Thornberry remind­ed the debate audience that the licensing committee were in a tough position.

“They would not want to be making a decision and then for more people to die,” she said.

“But we must not forget the cultural importance of Fabric.”